SENATE BILL No. 773

 

 

September 12, 2007, Introduced by Senator JELINEK and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1979 PA 94, entitled

 

"The state school aid act of 1979,"

 

by amending sections 8b, 11, 11j, 17b, 39a, and 147 (MCL 388.1608b,

 

388.1611, 388.1611j, 388.1617b, 388.1639a, and 388.1747), section

 

8b as amended by 2003 PA 158, sections 11, 11j, 17b, and 147 as

 

amended by 2007 PA 6, and section 39a as amended by 2006 PA 342;

 

and to repeal acts and parts of acts.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 8b. (1) The department shall assign a district code to

 

each public school academy that is authorized under the revised

 

school code and is eligible to receive funding under this act

 

within 30 days after a contract is submitted to the department by

 

the authorizing body of a public school academy.

 


     (2) If the department does not assign a district code to a

 

public school academy within the 30-day period described in

 

subsection (1), the district code the department shall use to make

 

payments under this act to the newly authorized public school

 

academy shall be a number that is equivalent to the sum of the last

 

district code assigned to a public school academy located in the

 

same county as the newly authorized public school academy plus 1.

 

However, if there is not an existing public school academy located

 

in the same county as the newly authorized public school academy,

 

then the district code the department shall use to make payments

 

under this act to the newly authorized public school academy shall

 

be a 5-digit number that has the county code in which the public

 

school academy is located as its first 2 digits, 9 as its third

 

digit, 0 as its fourth digit, and 1 as its fifth digit. If the

 

number of public school academies in a county grows to exceed 100,

 

the third digit in this 5-digit number shall then be 8 for the

 

public school academies in excess of 100.

 

     Sec. 11. (1) For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007,

 

there is appropriated for the public schools of this state and

 

certain other state purposes relating to education the sum of

 

$11,299,963,200.00 from the state school aid fund established by

 

section 11 of article IX of the state constitution of 1963 and the

 

sum of $35,000,000.00 from the general fund. For the fiscal period

 

beginning October 1, 2007 and ending December 31, 2007, there is

 

appropriated for the public schools of this state and certain other

 

state purposes relating to education the sum of $3,143,189,400.00

 

from the state school aid fund established by section 11 of article

 


IX of the state constitution of 1963 and the sum of $9,544,500.00

 

from the general fund. In addition, available federal funds are

 

appropriated for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008. Funds

 

appropriated under this section are allocated as follows:

 

     (a) Except for funds allocated under section 11j and funds

 

that were allocated under former section 54b, all state funds are

 

allocated for the same purposes, from the same funding sources, and

 

under the same conditions as state funds were allocated under this

 

act for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and are

 

allocated in an amount equal to 27.27% of the amount allocated for

 

the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007 for each of the purposes

 

provided under each funding section of this act.

 

     (b) Except for funds allocated under section 39a and funds

 

that were allocated under former sections 41a and 98b, all federal

 

funds are allocated for the same purposes, from the same funding

 

sources, under the same conditions, and in the same amounts as

 

those federal funds were allocated under this act for the fiscal

 

year ending September 30, 2007.

 

     (2) The appropriations under this section shall be allocated

 

as provided in this act. Money appropriated under this section from

 

the general fund shall be expended to fund the purposes of this act

 

before the expenditure of money appropriated under this section

 

from the state school aid fund. If the maximum amount appropriated

 

under this section from the state school aid fund for a fiscal year

 

exceeds the amount necessary to fully fund allocations under this

 

act from the state school aid fund, that excess amount shall not be

 

expended in that state fiscal year and shall not lapse to the

 


general fund, but instead shall be deposited into the school aid

 

stabilization fund created in section 11a.

 

     (3) If the maximum amount appropriated under this section from

 

the state school aid fund and the school aid stabilization fund for

 

a fiscal year exceeds the amount available for expenditure from the

 

state school aid fund for that fiscal year, payments under sections

 

11f, 11g, 11j, 22a, 26a, 26b, 31d, 31f, 51a(2), 51a(12), 51c, 53a,

 

and 56 shall be made in full. In addition, for districts beginning

 

operations after 1994-95 that qualify for payments under section

 

22b, payments under section 22b shall be made so that the

 

qualifying districts receive the lesser of an amount equal to the

 

1994-95 foundation allowance of the district in which the district

 

beginning operations after 1994-95 is located or $5,500.00. The

 

amount of the payment to be made under section 22b for these

 

qualifying districts shall be as calculated under section 22a, with

 

the balance of the payment under section 22b being subject to the

 

proration otherwise provided under this subsection and subsection

 

(4). If proration is necessary, state payments under each of the

 

other sections of this act from all state funding sources shall be

 

prorated in the manner prescribed in subsection (4) as necessary to

 

reflect the amount available for expenditure from the state school

 

aid fund for the affected fiscal year. However, if the department

 

of treasury determines that proration will be required under this

 

subsection, or if the department of treasury determines that

 

further proration is required under this subsection after an

 

initial proration has already been made for a fiscal year, the

 

department of treasury shall notify the state budget director, and

 


the state budget director shall notify the legislature at least 30

 

calendar days or 6 legislative session days, whichever is more,

 

before the department reduces any payments under this act because

 

of the proration. During the 30 calendar day or 6 legislative

 

session day period after that notification by the state budget

 

director, the department shall not reduce any payments under this

 

act because of proration under this subsection. The legislature may

 

prevent proration from occurring by, within the 30 calendar day or

 

6 legislative session day period after that notification by the

 

state budget director, enacting legislation appropriating

 

additional funds from the general fund, countercyclical budget and

 

economic stabilization fund, state school aid fund balance, or

 

another source to fund the amount of the projected shortfall.

 

     (4) If proration is necessary, the department shall calculate

 

the proration in district and intermediate district payments that

 

is required under subsection (3) as follows:

 

     (a) The department shall calculate the percentage of total

 

state school aid allocated under this act for the affected fiscal

 

year for each of the following:

 

     (i) Districts.

 

     (ii) Intermediate districts.

 

     (iii) Entities other than districts or intermediate districts.

 

     (b) The department shall recover a percentage of the proration

 

amount required under subsection (3) that is equal to the

 

percentage calculated under subdivision (a)(i) for districts by

 

reducing payments to districts. This reduction shall be made by

 

calculating an equal dollar amount per pupil as necessary to

 


recover this percentage of the proration amount and reducing each

 

district's total state school aid from state sources, other than

 

payments under sections 11f, 11g, 11j, 22a, 26a, 26b, 31d, 31f,

 

51a(2), 51a(12), 51c, and 53a, by that amount.

 

     (c) The department shall recover a percentage of the proration

 

amount required under subsection (3) that is equal to the

 

percentage calculated under subdivision (a)(ii) for intermediate

 

districts by reducing payments to intermediate districts. This

 

reduction shall be made by reducing the payments to each

 

intermediate district, other than payments under sections 11f, 11g,

 

26a, 26b, 51a(2), 51a(12), 53a, and 56, on an equal percentage

 

basis.

 

     (d) The department shall recover a percentage of the proration

 

amount required under subsection (3) that is equal to the

 

percentage calculated under subdivision (a)(iii) for entities other

 

than districts and intermediate districts by reducing payments to

 

these entities. This reduction shall be made by reducing the

 

payments to each of these entities, other than payments under

 

sections 11j, 26a, and 26b, on an equal percentage basis.

 

     (5) Except for the allocation under section 26a, any general

 

fund allocations under this act that are not expended by the end of

 

the state fiscal year are transferred to the school aid

 

stabilization fund created under section 11a.

 

     (6) In addition to the appropriations in subsection (1), for

 

the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, there is appropriated

 

from the reserve for undistributed investment income in the

 

Michigan public school employees' retirement system an amount not

 


to exceed $262,000,000.00 solely for the purpose of issuing credits

 

pursuant to section 147.

 

     Sec. 11j. From the appropriation in section 11, there is

 

allocated For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, there is

 

appropriated from the state school aid fund an amount not to exceed

 

$42,500,000.00 for 2006-2007 $1,900,000.00 for payments to the

 

school loan bond redemption fund in the department of treasury on

 

behalf of districts and intermediate districts. Notwithstanding

 

section 11 or any other provision of this act, funds allocated

 

under this section are not subject to proration and shall be paid

 

in full.

 

     Sec. 17b. (1) Not later than October 20, November 20, December

 

20, January 20, February 20, March 20, April 20, May 20, June 20,

 

July 20, and August 20, the department shall prepare electronic

 

files of the amount to be distributed under this act in the

 

installment to the districts and intermediate districts and deliver

 

the electronic files to the state treasurer, and the state

 

treasurer shall pay the installments on each of those dates or, if

 

the date is not a business day, on the next business day following

 

that date. Except as otherwise provided in this act, the portion of

 

the district's or intermediate district's state fiscal year

 

entitlement to be included in each installment shall be 1/11. For

 

the fiscal period beginning October 1, 2007 and ending December 31,

 

2007 only, the portion of the district's or intermediate district's

 

entitlement for that fiscal period to be included in each

 

installment shall be 1/3. A district or intermediate district shall

 

accrue the payments received in July and August to the school

 


fiscal year ending the immediately preceding June 30.

 

     (2) The state treasurer shall make payment under this section

 

by drawing a warrant in favor of the treasurer of each district or

 

intermediate district for the amount payable to the district or

 

intermediate district according to the electronic files and

 

delivering the warrant to the treasurer of each district or

 

intermediate district, or if the state treasurer receives a written

 

request by the treasurer of the district or intermediate district

 

specifying an account, by electronic funds transfer to that account

 

of the amount payable to the district or intermediate district

 

according to the electronic files. The department may make

 

adjustments in payments made under this section through additional

 

payments when changes in law or errors in computation cause the

 

regularly scheduled payment to be less than the amount to which the

 

district or intermediate district is entitled pursuant to this act.

 

     (3) Except as otherwise provided in this act, grant payments

 

to districts and intermediate districts under this act shall be

 

paid according to the installment schedule under subsection (1).

 

For the fiscal period beginning October 1, 2007 and ending December

 

31, 2007 only, for all grant payments that are to be made pursuant

 

to an agreement with the department, the department shall ensure

 

that the grant payments made during this fiscal period reflect the

 

reduced appropriation amount for this fiscal period in a way that

 

is appropriate for the program funded by the grant.

 

     (4) Upon the written request of a district or intermediate

 

district and the submission of proof satisfactory to the department

 

of a need of a temporary and nonrecurring nature, the

 


superintendent, with the written concurrence of the state treasurer

 

and the state budget director, may authorize an advance release of

 

funds due a district or intermediate district under this act. An

 

advance authorized under this subsection shall not cause funds to

 

be paid to a district or intermediate district more than 30 days

 

earlier than the established payment date for those funds.

 

     Sec. 39a. (1) From the federal funds appropriated in section

 

11, there is allocated for 2006-2007 2007-2008 to districts,

 

intermediate districts, and other eligible entities all available

 

federal funding, estimated at $636,978,000.00 $669,660,100.00, for

 

the federal programs under the no child left behind act of 2001,

 

Public Law 107-110. These funds are allocated as follows:

 

     (a) An amount estimated at $9,625,800.00 to provide students

 

with drug- and violence-prevention programs and to implement

 

strategies to improve school safety, funded from DED-OESE, drug-

 

free schools and communities funds.

 

     (b) An amount estimated at $6,140,900.00 $6,405,500.00 for the

 

purpose of improving teaching and learning through a more effective

 

use of technology, funded from DED-OESE, educational technology

 

state grant funds.

 

     (c) An amount estimated at $106,249,200.00 for the purpose of

 

preparing, training, and recruiting high-quality teachers and class

 

size reduction, funded from DED-OESE, improving teacher quality

 

funds.

 

     (d) An amount estimated at $7,627,400.00 $9,854,300.00 for

 

programs to teach English to limited English proficient (LEP)

 

children, funded from DED-OESE, language acquisition state grant

 


funds.

 

     (e) An amount estimated at $8,550,000.00 for the Michigan

 

charter school subgrant program, funded from DED-OESE, charter

 

school funds.

 

     (f) An amount estimated at $58,000.00 for Michigan model

 

partnership for character education programs, funded from DED-OESE,

 

title X, fund for improvement of education funds.

 

     (f) (g) An amount estimated at $468,700.00 $676,000.00 for

 

rural and low income schools, funded from DED-OESE, rural and low

 

income school funds.

 

     (g) (h) An amount estimated at $3,115,900.00 to help schools

 

develop and implement comprehensive school reform programs, funded

 

from DED-OESE, title I and title X, comprehensive school reform

 

funds.

 

     (h) (i) An amount estimated at $428,860,300.00 $456,971,500.00

 

to provide supplemental programs to enable educationally

 

disadvantaged children to meet challenging academic standards,

 

funded from DED-OESE, title I, disadvantaged children funds.

 

     (i) (j) An amount estimated at $3,022,700.00 $2,531,700.00 for

 

the purpose of providing unified family literacy programs, funded

 

from DED-OESE, title I, even start funds.

 

     (j) (k) An amount estimated at $8,186,200.00 for the purpose

 

of identifying and serving migrant children, funded from DED-OESE,

 

title I, migrant education funds.

 

     (k) (l) An amount estimated at $22,928,000.00 $24,733,200.00 to

 

promote high-quality school reading instruction for grades K-3,

 

funded from DED-OESE, title I, reading first state grant funds.

 


     (l) (m) An amount estimated at $2,848,900.00 $2,849,000.00 for

 

the purpose of implementing innovative strategies for improving

 

student achievement, funded from DED-OESE, title VI, innovative

 

strategies funds.

 

     (m) (n) An amount estimated at $29,296,000.00 $29,911,800.00

 

for the purpose of providing high-quality extended learning

 

opportunities, after school and during the summer, for children in

 

low-performing schools, funded from DED-OESE, twenty-first century

 

community learning center funds. Of these funds, $25,000.00

 

$50,000.00 may be used to support the Michigan after-school

 

partnership. All of the following apply to the Michigan after-

 

school partnership:

 

     (i) The department shall collaborate with the department of

 

human services to extend the duration of the Michigan after-school

 

initiative, to be renamed the Michigan after-school partnership and

 

oversee its efforts to implement the policy recommendations and

 

strategic next steps identified in the Michigan after-school

 

initiative's report of December 15, 2003.

 

     (ii) Funds shall be used to leverage other private and public

 

funding to engage the public and private sectors in building and

 

sustaining high-quality out-of-school-time programs and resources.

 

The co-chairs, representing the department and the department of

 

human services, shall name a fiduciary agent and may authorize the

 

fiduciary to expend funds and hire people to accomplish the work of

 

the Michigan after-school partnership.

 

     (iii) Participation in the Michigan after-school partnership

 

shall be expanded beyond the membership of the initial Michigan

 


after-school initiative to increase the representation of parents,

 

youth, foundations, employers, and others with experience in

 

education, child care, after-school and youth development services,

 

and crime and violence prevention, and to include representation

 

from the Michigan department of community health. Each year, on or

 

before December 31, the Michigan after-school partnership shall

 

report its progress in reaching the recommendations set forth in

 

the Michigan after-school initiative's report to the legislature

 

and the governor.

 

     (2) From the federal funds appropriated in section 11, there

 

is allocated for 2006-2007 2007-2008 to districts, intermediate

 

districts, and other eligible entities all available federal

 

funding, estimated at $4,646,400.00 $32,411,000.00, for the

 

following programs that are funded by federal grants:

 

     (a) An amount estimated at $600,000.00 for acquired

 

immunodeficiency syndrome education grants, funded from HHS-center

 

for disease control, AIDS funding.

 

     (b) An amount estimated at $1,500,100.00 $1,665,400.00 to

 

provide services to homeless children and youth, funded from DED-

 

OVAE, homeless children and youth funds.

 

     (c) An amount estimated at $1,000,000.00 $200,000.00 for

 

refugee children school impact grants, funded from HHS-ACF, refugee

 

children school impact funds.

 

     (d) An amount estimated at $1,445,600.00 for serve America

 

grants, funded from the corporation for national and community

 

service funds.

 

     (e) An amount estimated at $100,700.00 to encourage interstate

 


and intrastate coordination of migrant education, funded from DED-

 

OESE, title I, migrant education program funds $28,500,000.00 for

 

providing career and technical education services to pupils, funded

 

from DED-OVAE, basic grants to states.

 

     (3) To the extent allowed under federal law, the funds

 

allocated under subsection (1)(i), (j), and (l) (1)(h), (i), and (k)

 

may be used for 1 or more reading improvement programs that meet at

 

least 1 of the following:

 

     (a) A research-based, validated, structured reading program

 

that aligns learning resources to state standards and includes

 

continuous assessment of pupils and individualized education plans

 

for pupils.

 

     (b) A mentoring program that is a research-based, validated

 

program or a statewide 1-to-1 mentoring program and is designed to

 

enhance the independence and life quality of pupils who are

 

mentally impaired by providing opportunities for mentoring and

 

integrated employment.

 

     (c) A cognitive development program that is a research-based,

 

validated educational service program focused on assessing and

 

building essential cognitive and perceptual learning abilities to

 

strengthen pupil concentration and learning.

 

     (d) A structured mentoring-tutorial reading program for pupils

 

in preschool to grade 4 that is a research-based, validated program

 

that develops individualized educational plans based on each

 

pupil's age, assessed needs, reading level, interests, and learning

 

style.

 

     (4) All federal funds allocated under this section shall be

 


distributed in accordance with federal law and with flexibility

 

provisions outlined in Public Law 107-116, and in the education

 

flexibility partnership act of 1999, Public Law 106-25.

 

Notwithstanding section 17b, payments of federal funds to

 

districts, intermediate districts, and other eligible entities

 

under this section shall be paid on a schedule determined by the

 

department.

 

     (5) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "DED" means the United States department of education.

 

     (b) "DED-OESE" means the DED office of elementary and

 

secondary education.

 

     (c) "DED-OVAE" means the DED office of vocational and adult

 

education.

 

     (d) "HHS" means the United States department of health and

 

human services.

 

     (e) "HHS-ACF" means the HHS administration for children and

 

families.

 

     Sec. 147. (1) The allocation for 2006-2007 2007-2008 for the

 

public school employees' retirement system pursuant to the public

 

school employees retirement act of 1979, 1980 PA 300, MCL 38.1301

 

to 38.1408, shall be made using the entry age normal cost actuarial

 

method and risk assumptions adopted by the public school employees

 

retirement board and the department of management and budget. The

 

annual level percentage of payroll contribution rate is estimated

 

at 17.74% 16.72% for the 2006-2007 2007-2008 state fiscal year. The

 

portion of the contribution rate assigned to districts and

 

intermediate districts for each fiscal year is all of the total

 


percentage points. This contribution rate reflects an amortization

 

period of 30 years for 2006-2007 2007-2008. The public school

 

employees' retirement system board shall notify each district and

 

intermediate district by February 28 of each fiscal year of the

 

estimated contribution rate for the next fiscal year.

 

     (2) Upon enactment of legislation reducing pension

 

contributions of each district or intermediate district to the

 

public school employees' retirement system that would otherwise be

 

due from that district or intermediate district, the director of

 

the department of management and budget shall direct the public

 

school employees' retirement system to issue credits for the fiscal

 

year ending September 30, 2007 not to exceed an aggregate of

 

$276,000,000.00. The credits shall be used to meet the required

 

pension obligations of each district or intermediate district and

 

shall reduce the amount of pension contributions otherwise due from

 

that district or intermediate district based on the original

 

contribution rate. The portion of a credit issued on behalf of a

 

district related to nonfederal wages as reported to the public

 

school employees' retirement system for the state fiscal year

 

ending September 30, 2006 shall be considered to be a payment on

 

behalf of the district for the purposes of calculating payments

 

made under section 22b for 2006-2007. The portion of a credit

 

issued on behalf of an intermediate district related to nonfederal

 

wages as reported to the public school employees' retirement system

 

for the state fiscal year ending September 30, 2006 shall be

 

considered to be a payment on behalf of the intermediate district

 

for the purpose of calculating payments made under section 81 for

 


2006-2007. The portion of credits issued by the public school

 

employees' retirement system attributable to nonfederal wages in

 

aggregate shall equal the appropriation under section 11(6). The

 

total credit provided under this subsection for a particular

 

district or intermediate district shall be determined based on that

 

district's or intermediate district's percentage of the total

 

statewide payroll for all districts and intermediate districts for

 

the state fiscal year ending September 30, 2006.

 

     Enacting section 1. In accordance with section 30 of article I

 

of the state constitution of 1963, total state spending in this

 

amendatory act from state sources for the fiscal period beginning

 

October 1, 2007 and ending December 31, 2007 is estimated at

 

$3,152,733,900.00 and state appropriations to be paid to local

 

units of government for the fiscal period beginning October 1, 2007

 

and ending December 31, 2007 are estimated at $3,134,050,100.00.

 

     Enacting section 2. Sections 41a, 54b, and 98b of the state

 

school aid act of 1979, 1979 PA 94, MCL 388.1641a, 388.1654b, and

 

388.1698b, are repealed.

 

     Enacting section 3. This amendatory act takes effect October

 

1, 2007.